Drugs

“Long-term, students who experiment with drugs are at increased risk of developing substance abuse issues as adults...”

Drug use and abuse among youth decreases academic performance, increases the potential for violence, and can exacerbate or create health issues for children and adolescents.1 Long-term, students who experiment with drugs are at increased risk of developing substance abuse issues as adults, making it even more critical to target youth in order to prevent or delay the onset of use.2 This risk of addiction includes tobacco use since, according to the surgeon general, 9 out of 10 smokers begin the habit before age 18.3 Use of drugs, alcohol, and traditional cigarettes have decreased in recent years.1 However, new challenges keep parents, educators, and policy makers on their toes, including the rise of e-cigarette use and concerns about prescription drug abuse.2,4 Evidence indicates that creating and delivering successful interventions requires considering a variety of nuanced factors, both risk and protective, and carefully targeting both audience and setting.5

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Featured Articles

The Expansion of E-Cigs: Legal Ramifications, Health Concerns, and Prevention

July 2020

A variety of electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are available to the public. However, electronic cigarettes generally consist of a heating element, a power source, and liquid. Electronic cigarette liquids commonly contain propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine.... (Read more…)

Prescription Drug Misuse: Consequences and Prevention

February 2018

In 2017, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released information about the opioid epidemic that has spread across the country. Drug overdoses and opioid-involved deaths have continued to increase among teens and young adults, with teen prescription drug misuse and abuse on the rise for the... (Read more…)

Articles

Effective Tobacco Enforcement Proven to Reduce Youth Smoking

September 2017

Decades of research indicates that tobacco enforcement programs, particularly those focusing on youth access laws, are effective at reducing youth smoking. In contrast, very little evidence supports the notion that merely enacting youth access laws in the absence of proper enforcement support will impact... (Read more…)

Confronting Alcohol Use Among Our Youth

February 2017

Alcohol is the most widely consumed substance by youth and young adults, with many being exposed to alcohol in their formative years. Research has shown that underage alcohol consumption has numerous harmful effects on youth and young adults, ranging from poor school performance to alcohol-related... (Read more…)

Responding to the Increased Presence of E-Cigarettes on School Campuses

May 2015

During the 2012-2013 school year, one school district in Texas confiscated e-cigarette products on nearly a daily basis. This is one of the many issues schools face as the number of U.S. students who try electronic cigarettes for the first time steadily increases. Approximately 263,000 6-12th grade... (Read more…)

Confronting Drug Use Among Our Youth

July 2013

Over the past 20 years, teenagers have engaged in illicit drug use at high rates. This is largely due to the prevalence of marijuana use. Although marijuana use among teenagers declined beginning in the late 1990s, it has been increasing since the mid-2000s. According to the 2012 Monitoring...(Read more…)

Confronting Tobacco Use Among Our Youth

April 2013

Each day, approximately 3,800 youth in the United States try a cigarette for the first time. Of these youth, an estimated 1,000 will become daily smokers (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
 Administration, 2011). The peak age for trying
cigarettes for the first time is between the ages... (Read more…)

Tobacco Use Among Youth

Infographic

Each day, approximately 3,800 youth in the United States try a cigarette for the first time. Of these youth, an estimated 1,000 will become daily smokers. This infographic demonstrates some of the current statistics concerning tobacco use among youth.